Robert Langat: The Techprenuer Cashing In On Safaricom, Airtel Bulk SMS

The technology industry in Kenya has been rapidly expanding over years. With the rise in the number of Kenyans owning smart phones, companies have been forced to integrate ICT services for various tasks such as communication, banking and fraud prevention.

Kenya’s telcos use bulk SMS which basically entails sending millions of texts to various subscribers for the purpose of marketing and issuing various notifications. Bulk SMS are considered reliable owing to the high engagement rates.

One techprenuer, Robert Langat tapped into this market niche and has been in business for almost a decade. He is the CEO of Mobitech Technologies which offers bulk sms, USSD, shortcodes, bulk airtime disbursement and creates mobile  apps for its clients. Here is his story as told by WoK.

Telecommunication Engineer

According to his LinkedIn profile, Langat pursued telecommunication engineering at Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology. He then matriculated at Emobilis Mobile Academy for a course in Mobile Technology Programming. He previously worked as a technician at Telkom.

Setting up Mobitech

In pursuit of a potential market niche, Langat set up his firm using a paltry Ksh 50,000 in 2012. Like many entrepreneurs, he didn’t start big and began by using his home as an office before moving to a shared space.

“With the little resources I had at the time, personal savings and contributions from friends, I started Mobitech Technologies from home. Then I moved to a shared office after getting a few clients. Later, I secured the required business permits and moved to our own office,” he told Business Daily.

His company was focused at offering quality services and as such grew as a result of clients’ referrals. Mobitech’s biggest fulcrum for growth was winning the trust of its customers. The firm currently  partners with telco companies that provide mobile network services like Safaricom, Airtel, and Telkom Kenya.

Basically, they have a web-based portal which telcos can log in and upload various contacts then send the SMS to subscribers. This gives their clients a control over the platform. According to their website, Mobitech charges 35 cents per SMS sent through their platform.

The firm has been able to attract clients from others sectors as well, including learning institutions, SACCOs, supermarkets and betting companies. According to Langat, his firm has a clientele base of up to 1000 and 5 employees. The entrepreneur now intends to spread tentacles beyond Kenyan borders by venturing into the East African region.

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